Nut-wrench



(No Model.)

. B. F. STOGKFORD.

NUT WRENGH N0. 431,081. Patented July 1, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. STOOKFORD, OF SOUTH BEND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ELIZA GOLDEN, OF ELKHART, INDIANA.

NUT-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,081, dated July 1, 1890.

Application filed August 27, 1889. Serial No. 322,113. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SrooK- FORD, of South Bend, in the county of St. Josephand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut- Wrenches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in nut-wrenches, and more particularly to those commonly known as sliding-jaw wrenches, the object being to provideasimple, durable, an o inexpensive wrench, capable of quick and easy adjustment to different-sized nuts, and when so adjusted adapted to furnish a reliablc hold and admit of easy manipulation.

With this end in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the sliding bar. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the sliding jaw, and Fig. 4 is a View in transverse section of the handle.

A represents the wrench-bar, havinga rigid jaw 1 at one end and terminating at its opposite end in a shank 2. The sliding jaw 3 is loosely mounted on the angular portion 4 of the bar, and the main portion of this jaw is hollow. A face-plate 5, which constitutes the gripping-face of the sliding jaw and corresponds with the inner face of the rigid jaw 1, is provided with an inwardly-projecting arm 6, which extends loosely into the sliding jaw, where it is pivoted by means of pin 7. The inner end of this plate is stilfened and re-enforced by means of the curved web 8. The inner face of the arm 6 is furnished with teeth 9,which are thrown in or out of engagement with the teeth 10 on the inner face of the bar accordingly as the sliding jaw is locked or released. A slide-latch 11 is guided in its endwise movements in the sliding jaw by means of lugs 12 12, and a pin 13 extends over the elongated recess 14c in the slidelatch and admits of a sliding movement, but prevents the latch from being removed from the slide-jaw. Finger-piece or head 15 is formed on the outer end of the latch, by which it is slid back and forth, and the inner or opposite end 16 is adapted to be wedged between the thickened portion 17 of the wall of the sliding jaw and the end 18 of the arm 6 to force the teeth 9 into engagement with the teeth 10 to lock the jaw in place. A slidebar 19 extends along one edge of the bar A of the wrench through a loop 20 in the handle 21, and at its outer end is provided with a ring which is loosely mounted on the shank 20f the wrench-bar, and against which the spiral spring 22, mounted on the shank, impinges. The opposite end of this slide-bar is furnished with notches 23 23, which receive lugs 12 12, whereby a loose connection is had between the slide-bar and slide-j aw. Springplates 24 25, secured to the end of this slidebar,bear, respectively, upon the slide-latch to prevent it from rattling, and against the end or projection of the arm 6 to normally raise the latter, so that its teeth are thrown out of engagement with the teeth on the wrench-bar, this spring and the slide latch having a counteracting tendency upon each other and acting on opposite sides of the arm 6. Thus when the slide is drawn out as far as the pin 7 will permit, the teeth 9 and 10 are out of engagement with each other and the action of spiral spring slides the jaw 3 against the rigid jaw, or against the nut or other device between the two jaws. To look the slide-jaw it is simply moved to the proper position and the slide-latch is pushed in. Its cam engagement forces the teeth together.

A rule-scale is formed on one side of the wrench-bar, and by means of this the wrench may be used as calipers when desired.

The handle may be'of wood, but is preferably of one piece of metal with flattened sides and held on by the usual conical nut 26, which screws onto the screw-threads of the shank and forms a tip for the wrench.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself tothe particular construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combinati0n,with a wrench-bar having a rigid jaw thereon and teeth, of a sliding jaw loosely mounted on the wrench-bar, a face-plate having an inwardly-projecting arm pivoted in the sliding jaw, said arm having teeth adapted to engage the teeth of the wrench-bar, a slide-latch, a slide-bar loosely mounted on the wrench-bar and connected to the sliding jaw and having springs thereon which engage the arm on the face-plate and the slide-latch, a spring for actuating the slide-bar and through it the sliding jaw, and a handle over the slide-bar, substantially as set forth.

v 2. The combination, with a wrench-barhaving a rigid jaw on one end, of a spring-actuated sliding jaw loosely mounted on the Wren ch-bar, a face-plate having an arm thereon pivoted in the sliding jaw, a slide-latch and a slidedoar having loose connection with the sliding jaw and yielding engagement with the arm on the face-plate and the slide-latch, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. STOCKFORD.

Witnessesz' W. B. SKINNER, JAMES D. CURTIS. 

